I love my Tegu. He just turned 3 years old last month. he's almost 4 feet and weighs 15 lbs. I keep him indoors most of the time. He has 2 cages one outdoors and one indoors. I just brought him indoors last week end its suppose to get a little cooler here in San Antonio TX this week. Great pet I wish I would of handle him a little more when I first got him cause he does get a little hard to handle at times.
They’re great animals! Just keep working with it and it will get even better. We were just in San Antonio 2 weeks ago making some videos about Texas reptiles and amphibians.
Tegus are no joke, that’s one beefy lizard! I appreciate all the considerations you offered about keeping these lizards as pets, to get a tegu to house pet level comfort is much harder than it looks. Really enjoyed this one guys
These guys are cool as hell met them on a flight to Arizona as they were searching for the gila monster. Cool as can be and made me feel like I could chase my dreams they were so passionate and driven
Great video guys. I can totally vouch for them being able to warm up and the numbers you said are pretty spot on. I house mine outside in Kentucky and we had some bad nights and they 100% can warm up and virtually be warm to the touch. I actually left work to come and check on them cause we had a cold burst out of no where and I heat gunned them and was amazed. Females can definitely be more moody and timid as well and even more so during the mating season. I think males are the better choices. One thing to note for new tegu owners is that these guys have the ability to put some size on incredibly fast. My boy I got fresh out the egg and he was 3ft in a couple of months. He’s not even 2 year old yet and has brumated twice and is already 4ft now and close to about 10lbs. They are amazing animals. Better than monitors in my opinion as well.
Thanks for commenting, your tegu sounds like an amazing lizard. They are one of the best "show" reptiles that we own and we never have any issues when they accompany us at the shows we perform. That's cool that you were able to see first hand that they're able to increase their body temp like that. Thanks again for watching.
I keep hearing how hot tegus like it but mine doesn't. He likes low-mid 70s and sunny. If it passes the high 80s he is scratching at the door to get back inside. I try to make him stay out but if I do he will sit in his water and look upset. inside he has UVB basking lamps but he will bask for a max of 30 mins then he likes to go to cooler areas. I'm always afraid he is hurting himself by being too cool but he seems very healthy so I can only assume he knows what he is doing. Beyond that. Tegus are great pets, their skin feels great and they even smell good (mine does, very light but good scent) so they are great to have snuggling into your neck while you lay down and watch something.
I love your channel! I am probably going to get a tegu in the next few week but I can't decide whether to get these guys or Crocodile Monitors, what do you think?
@TechTrendsKid Thanks for supporting our channel! We appreciate it! Definitely go with a tegu. Croc monitors are not even legal in some states, including in Illinois where we live. They grow massive and can cause serious injuries with their powerful bite and muscular tail. Tegus are easy to train and highly intelligent. Easily one of the best pet "larger" lizards available in the pet trade. Steer clear of monitors if you do not have any experience with them. If you do get a monitor, I'd recommend a Savannah, ackie or Timor monitor to start out with.
Great video and very great info🙌 they absolutely make great pets for people looking for a awesome lizard species. In my opinion they are similar to Savannah monitors, well if comparing them to a monitor species. I breed Savannah monitors and have over 40 babies at the moment and I’ve always loved big lizards. I’ve been keeping and breeding reptiles for over 30years now and started with big boas and pythons. Once I got my first monitor I was instantly hooked on big lizards and now my main passion is breeding monitors. I still breed pythons just smaller ones no more rock pythons and anacondas 🤷♂️. Rather have a well trained giant monitor instead. Well I love your videos and channel so keep the videos coming 🙌. Hope you have a great day and wish you guys the best 🙋♂️✌️
Thank you! We really appreciate the feedback and support. You’re right about comparing them to savs with size and personality. Savannahs are just as cool. We’ve been thinking about getting another Savanahh monitor as they do really well in shows and are still cool enough when you don’t want to bring a black throat or water monitor to a show with 3-5 year old kids.
I let my tegu burmate in a small enclosure during the winter, and during the summer she stays outdoors for the summer, a helpful tip for those on who have a tight budget or limited space
I love my boy, but please for those that are thinking of getting these amazing animals seriously research. Tegus can be various sizes black and white Argentines being the largest, reds as second, and blues are 3rd (not quite including Chicoans here. Regardless an 8ft enclosure is a minimum and these animals are incredibly personable. I have seen these animals show behaviors of missing their person when gone. They do bond and do form their variations of attachments. Too frequent have I heard someone look at these animals and go "yeah I want that" well I will tell you they all come in various personalities I relate them more closely to a cat with some dog like tendencies. When one handles them do so knowing you will bleed their nails are sharp. Learn their behavior and work with them daily the deeper the bond the more meaningful the relationship. Lastly get ready to join the legal battles that are going on to make keeping animals like this illegal check out USARK who protect the reptile hobby from different legislations like the Lacy Act. These animals are strong ours can pop out the glass for his enclosure. He is smart enough to even jam the tracks making the process easier. Get ready for their smarts they are a huge handful If you still think you are ready guaranteed one is never ready until they physically work with these animals. I love my boy, but I would not trust him around kids nor around any stranger. He is harness trained and does go in public but people who I don't know may only pet him tail end while I hold him. Overall just use common sense when choosing a reptile. Lastly there are better harnesses than those lizard harnesses for them. As juveniles a fully adjustable ferret harness does well and will get them to small fully adjustable cat harness than to larger cat harness. Dog harnesses don't fit as well and isn't as snug. Thanks for the video it's always nice to see fellow tegu lovers promoting these animals. I really do feel that they have a form of sentience just don't express as we do nor behaves as we would.
Thanks for commenting and sharing your experience and knowledge of tegus. They are great lizards and in the right hands can definitely be rewarding pets!
Haha we try not to take ourselves to seriously and just have fun. It’s a Argentine black and white tegu. Let us know if you like the other videos and thanks for the comment! 👊🏼
I have 3. a blue female, a Chacoan female, both 1 yr olds, and high black male. They are all very different. They are a lot of work. The blue is more flighty and nervous around strangers. The Chacoan is very personable, she is the one I let people handle. The male was born 4/4/22 so being a baby, I limit who handles him but he is extremely confident for a little guy. All 3 are from Rose City Reptiles in TX. Make sure you know your breeder and find a vet before you get your tegu!
That’s really cool you have that variety. They are very intelligent animals and are very cool to observe and interact with. Great advice on breeder and vet!
Wow, he is so beautiful and healthy! He looks as if you polished him. 🥰 I've never seen that reptile before, but he's now my favorite of the large reptiles!
@@NatureInYourFace Yeah, I heard you say that. My dog sleeps in my bed with me and lets me know when she has to potty, I'm not so sure about a lizard.🤔
Awesome lizards, Yoshi is exceptional. I've kept one of these lizards for about 14 months. Got it when it was a 1 month old hatchling and held it for ten to fifteen minutes every day for about seven months. Then, bam, it goes nuts. Now it hides whenever I come by it's enclosure and if I attempt to pick it up it puffs up, death rolls and bites sometimes. And yes, a 3' Tegu bite hurts and bleeds quite nicely! I know about puberty with these lizards but this has been going on for almost 6 months and can only touch it while it's feeding. I don't know how to get it to trust me again.
Just a few ideas. Have you tried completely rearranging the enclosure to try and break the territory aggression? Also if you can remove it from the cage, with welding gloves, try taking it to a cool room to “chill” it out and then try handling it. Unfortunately we have had animals flip the switch and become very defensive and not tame back down. But I would try changing things up.
@@NatureInYourFace Haven't tried rearranging the enclosure. Will give it a try as it's about time to replace the substrate. I've been using garden top soil, playground sand and peat moss. Anyway, it's somewhat frustrating to see the 180° change that has occurred. I've been keeping/ breeding reptiles/amphibians for close to 30 years but have not seen such an abrupt change in any of my animals including Monitors! My Northern Emerald Tree Boa is a treat to handle compared to this nightmare!!
Man, I have wanted one of these for the past fifteen years. I've always had large lizards mostly with many other species that were much smaller. I guess I just thought it would be like socializing all my other reptiles. Boy was I wrong! I'm kinda wondering just how many people are in the same boat as me? On the whole, I've been pretty lucky with my choices except for the time I bought a Tokay gecko when I was a kid. Still gives me nightmares. Lol
Years ago I had the misfortune of one of my tegus latching onto my thumb during a feeding session and let me tell you it lit up my world. I thought the bone was being crushed. One of her teeth went completely through my thumb nail. Fortunately she let go after a while. From then on l never let them associate my hands with feeding and have never had any mishaps.
Hello. I have a few questions. Can Female Tegus's be kept in The same Enclosure? If I Purchase A UVA and A UVB Lamp do I still need a heating Lamp or Cylinder or Long like heating Light for The Tegu's Enclosure.
Typically uvb bulbs do not produce heat so you would need a separate basking light for heat and possibly a heat pad/CHE depending on how cool the room is that you will keep the lizard in. It is possible to keep two females together but not really advisable as there’s always going to be a dominant one that eats more food and takes less heat good hides and basking areas causing stress to the other. Unless you can provide a large enclosure with multiple hides and multiple heat sources and feed separately. Then it can be done fairly safely, but there is always a risk of the bigger one eating the smaller.
Tegus are also an invasive species in Florida. They might as well put a fence around the entire state and call it the Florida Zoo. It's become a continental soup of critters from around the world. Very sad. 😢
Great advice, I would say you covered everything except you forgot to mention that anytime you are not feeding whole prey items you should be dusting with an all in one calcium and vitamin powder.
I love my baby tegu her name is Zumi she is about 5 months old she’s a little scary.. I have had her for a couple weeks I’m trying to train her….she almost acts like she was dropped I don’t know 😢 when I feed her she goes ham and shakes her food and gets substrate all over it even though I feed her on her platform she always flings it
Yea food flinging is a Tegu thing. Definitely messy eaters. We have a female who eats half her food then fills the bowl with substrate to indicate “she’s done”. I’m sure Zumi will calm down with work. They tend to become food aggressive quickly in their enclosures and will try to bite anything that enters but once taken out usually are good. You can always use thick gloves to remove it at first.
What do you think about Colombian/gold tegus? I have a golden tegu that i bought as a little hatchling.i had him/her for about 8 months now and its about 18 inches long from head to tail
@@allenmelton3367 We love all tegus, we don't care if they're gold, red, black and white or purple with green polka dots! That's awesome that your tegu is healthy and getting bigger! They are intelligent and make such great pets! Thanks for sharing!
We’ve definitely heard of people not thinking they’re as attractive an Argentine bw or a red but they have a really cool pattern! Supposedly they can be harder to tame but we haven’t personally worked with them. What is the temperament of yours?
The temperament mind is a little skittish when I first take him out the tank,but when I handle him/her it eventually calms down in about 5 minutes.My tegu don't like to be picked up be he likes to socialize as far as me petting it and sometimes he sits on my lap but he will start off by exploring first.He is slot calmer than he was when I first had it as a hatchling,that's when a bit my finger a few times but it didn't hurt at all at that size.
It can be done with proper lighting and supplementation but it would be best to provide some whole prey items in their diet if you want them to be healthy. They'll take chicken, ground turkey and other meat from the store but they are lacking some of the beneficial nutrients that are in the whole prey items that they eat. I will feed my tegu small rats but sometimes it's easier to feed it 4 or five mice instead because they're easier for him to swallow. Just keep in mind that they are omnivorous so variety is best. Thanks for asking. Happy New Year!
i just got my first Tegu in early February of this year and she was about 6-7 months old and the pet store had never handled her, so she is very spicy. i get her out and handle her on a daily but she still does not seem to like it. she does bite me if she is awake(warm) when i get her out of her enclosure(i do have heavy duty long leather gloves) she does the death roll in my hands and she does her deep breathing. and she has also pooed on me. but I don't give up and i will not put her back in her enclosure until she does calm down. what are my chances that she will eventually tame down?
They’re very intelligent animals and if it was captive bred then there is definitely hope. Have you tried tong feeding? You can pet her head with something while she eats to associate being touched as a good thing. Also working with her in a cooler environment will help keep her calm. Good luck and don’t give up
Mine is super gentile and can be hand fed. He often sleeps on my chest if I lay in bed watching a movie or on my lap playing computer games. He can go out without a leash and not run away. If you constantly handle any lizard they WILL clam down eventually, but that said, just like people or dogs or anything different lizards have different personalities. Some will be calm others will be more hyper. Also one thing to note, their eyes work differently than ours do, they can see light waves we can not, so you look different to them in sunlight than you do in house light, and different at noon than you do at 7pm. My Tegu was always calm in house light but would get defensive and pissy (not quite aggressive but he would arch his back and hiss.. not bite) in sunlight. It took months for him to recognize me in all different sunlight and he has been calm and gentle with me for a long time now. Also other things can set them off... I recently got a new phone and I guess the camera lens on it looks like an eye to him. He was used to the other phone but the new one made him angry, then he got used to it. They are very smart when it comes to remembering objects, faces, room/yard layouts and hiding spots.
She will calm down with age. When they are young they are nervous and flighty. When about one year old try putting her in a small room with you. Most tegus don't like to be picked up but they like being stroked or scratched. Do this a few times a week and a little food goes a long way. Just make sure the tegu associates you with food but not your fingers.
YES! They can be the sweetest lizards around but you would not want to get bit by a large one. Sharp teeth and large jaws muscles equal pain. They can develop a strong feed response and will go to grab anything coming into their enclosure thinking it’s food. But there are ways to train them to know when they’re being fed or being held/cage maintenance.
“Feed with tongs because they can be a little food aggressive.” 5 minutes later feeds tegu grapes without tongs 😂. Great video guys
I love my Tegu. He just turned 3 years old last month. he's almost 4 feet and weighs 15 lbs. I keep him indoors most of the time. He has 2 cages one outdoors and one indoors. I just brought him indoors last week end its suppose to get a little cooler here in San Antonio TX this week. Great pet I wish I would of handle him a little more when I first got him cause he does get a little hard to handle at times.
They’re great animals! Just keep working with it and it will get even better. We were just in San Antonio 2 weeks ago making some videos about Texas reptiles and amphibians.
Hey, I'm in Canyon Lake! Did your Tegu go through puberty? I'm in month 6-7 and I can't hardly touch it. Maybe it will grow out of it?
Tegus are no joke, that’s one beefy lizard! I appreciate all the considerations you offered about keeping these lizards as pets, to get a tegu to house pet level comfort is much harder than it looks. Really enjoyed this one guys
What the heck is a buckeye anyway? You guys need to petition the school and change the mascot. Ohio State Tegus......that does have a nice ring to it!
He is a tiny juvenile.
@@NatureInYourFace Not even close. They even say it in the video.
These guys are cool as hell met them on a flight to Arizona as they were searching for the gila monster. Cool as can be and made me feel like I could chase my dreams they were so passionate and driven
Thanks James! We definitely remember talking to you on that flight. Good to hear from you.
Great video guys.
I can totally vouch for them being able to warm up and the numbers you said are pretty spot on. I house mine outside in Kentucky and we had some bad nights and they 100% can warm up and virtually be warm to the touch. I actually left work to come and check on them cause we had a cold burst out of no where and I heat gunned them and was amazed.
Females can definitely be more moody and timid as well and even more so during the mating season. I think males are the better choices.
One thing to note for new tegu owners is that these guys have the ability to put some size on incredibly fast. My boy I got fresh out the egg and he was 3ft in a couple of months. He’s not even 2 year old yet and has brumated twice and is already 4ft now and close to about 10lbs.
They are amazing animals. Better than monitors in my opinion as well.
Thanks for commenting, your tegu sounds like an amazing lizard. They are one of the best "show" reptiles that we own and we never have any issues when they accompany us at the shows we perform. That's cool that you were able to see first hand that they're able to increase their body temp like that. Thanks again for watching.
I keep hearing how hot tegus like it but mine doesn't. He likes low-mid 70s and sunny. If it passes the high 80s he is scratching at the door to get back inside. I try to make him stay out but if I do he will sit in his water and look upset. inside he has UVB basking lamps but he will bask for a max of 30 mins then he likes to go to cooler areas. I'm always afraid he is hurting himself by being too cool but he seems very healthy so I can only assume he knows what he is doing. Beyond that. Tegus are great pets, their skin feels great and they even smell good (mine does, very light but good scent) so they are great to have snuggling into your neck while you lay down and watch something.
its actually so cute. looks gentle too
They’re definitely cute and if worked with are very well behaved
I love your channel! I am probably going to get a tegu in the next few week but I can't decide whether to get these guys or Crocodile Monitors, what do you think?
@TechTrendsKid Thanks for supporting our channel! We appreciate it! Definitely go with a tegu. Croc monitors are not even legal in some states, including in Illinois where we live. They grow massive and can cause serious injuries with their powerful bite and muscular tail. Tegus are easy to train and highly intelligent. Easily one of the best pet "larger" lizards available in the pet trade. Steer clear of monitors if you do not have any experience with them. If you do get a monitor, I'd recommend a Savannah, ackie or Timor monitor to start out with.
@@NatureInYourFace Thanks!
He is so adorable and sweet!
Yoshi is the best!
Great video and very great info🙌 they absolutely make great pets for people looking for a awesome lizard species. In my opinion they are similar to Savannah monitors, well if comparing them to a monitor species. I breed Savannah monitors and have over 40 babies at the moment and I’ve always loved big lizards. I’ve been keeping and breeding reptiles for over 30years now and started with big boas and pythons. Once I got my first monitor I was instantly hooked on big lizards and now my main passion is breeding monitors. I still breed pythons just smaller ones no more rock pythons and anacondas 🤷♂️. Rather have a well trained giant monitor instead. Well I love your videos and channel so keep the videos coming 🙌. Hope you have a great day and wish you guys the best 🙋♂️✌️
Thank you! We really appreciate the feedback and support. You’re right about comparing them to savs with size and personality. Savannahs are just as cool. We’ve been thinking about getting another Savanahh monitor as they do really well in shows and are still cool enough when you don’t want to bring a black throat or water monitor to a show with 3-5 year old kids.
Tegus were definitely a species I was interested in when I was into reptile keeping. Great video!
They are really cool lizards!
I let my tegu burmate in a small enclosure during the winter, and during the summer she stays outdoors for the summer, a helpful tip for those on who have a tight budget or limited space
That’s great! Nothing beats keeping them outside for part or all of the year. Great tips for tegu owners
It's mind-blowing how naturally docile these lizards are.
They are incredible lizards and very intelligent
I love my boy, but please for those that are thinking of getting these amazing animals seriously research.
Tegus can be various sizes black and white Argentines being the largest, reds as second, and blues are 3rd (not quite including Chicoans here. Regardless an 8ft enclosure is a minimum and these animals are incredibly personable. I have seen these animals show behaviors of missing their person when gone. They do bond and do form their variations of attachments.
Too frequent have I heard someone look at these animals and go "yeah I want that" well I will tell you they all come in various personalities I relate them more closely to a cat with some dog like tendencies. When one handles them do so knowing you will bleed their nails are sharp. Learn their behavior and work with them daily the deeper the bond the more meaningful the relationship.
Lastly get ready to join the legal battles that are going on to make keeping animals like this illegal check out USARK who protect the reptile hobby from different legislations like the Lacy Act.
These animals are strong ours can pop out the glass for his enclosure. He is smart enough to even jam the tracks making the process easier. Get ready for their smarts they are a huge handful
If you still think you are ready guaranteed one is never ready until they physically work with these animals. I love my boy, but I would not trust him around kids nor around any stranger. He is harness trained and does go in public but people who I don't know may only pet him tail end while I hold him. Overall just use common sense when choosing a reptile.
Lastly there are better harnesses than those lizard harnesses for them. As juveniles a fully adjustable ferret harness does well and will get them to small fully adjustable cat harness than to larger cat harness. Dog harnesses don't fit as well and isn't as snug.
Thanks for the video it's always nice to see fellow tegu lovers promoting these animals. I really do feel that they have a form of sentience just don't express as we do nor behaves as we would.
Thanks for commenting and sharing your experience and knowledge of tegus. They are great lizards and in the right hands can definitely be rewarding pets!
What kind of tegu is he? You guys seem pretty chill!! Will definitely be watching more of your videos!!
Haha we try not to take ourselves to seriously and just have fun. It’s a Argentine black and white tegu. Let us know if you like the other videos and thanks for the comment! 👊🏼
definitely my dream pet !
I have 3. a blue female, a Chacoan female, both 1 yr olds, and high black male. They are all very different. They are a lot of work. The blue is more flighty and nervous around strangers. The Chacoan is very personable, she is the one I let people handle. The male was born 4/4/22 so being a baby, I limit who handles him but he is extremely confident for a little guy. All 3 are from Rose City Reptiles in TX. Make sure you know your breeder and find a vet before you get your tegu!
That’s really cool you have that variety. They are very intelligent animals and are very cool to observe and interact with. Great advice on breeder and vet!
Tegus are everything to us. We have 9. Everyone should get one, where they're legal. They're so much more than just a lizard.
Wow 9! That’s a tegu army. They really are incredible animals
Train them like an indoraptor and I don’t think your town stands a chance
😂 Train them to attack Achilles tendons and cripple the enemy! 😈
@@NatureInYourFace make them run into the calves
Hah
Wow, he is so beautiful and healthy! He looks as if you polished him. 🥰
I've never seen that reptile before, but he's now my favorite of the large reptiles!
Unlike the other two dudes in the video with their worn, leathery and unpolished skin. 😁
They’re like the puppy dogs of the lizard world
@@NatureInYourFace
😂
@@NatureInYourFace
Yeah, I heard you say that. My dog sleeps in my bed with me and lets me know when she has to potty, I'm not so sure about a lizard.🤔
The lizard will just crap the bed . Then you’ll know it had to go. 😂 actually lizards can be potty trained
Awesome lizards, Yoshi is exceptional. I've kept one of these lizards for about 14 months. Got it when it was a 1 month old hatchling and held it for ten to fifteen minutes every day for about seven months. Then, bam, it goes nuts. Now it hides whenever I come by it's enclosure and if I attempt to pick it up it puffs up, death rolls and bites sometimes. And yes, a 3' Tegu bite hurts and bleeds quite nicely! I know about puberty with these lizards but this has been going on for almost 6 months and can only touch it while it's feeding. I don't know how to get it to trust me again.
Just a few ideas. Have you tried completely rearranging the enclosure to try and break the territory aggression? Also if you can remove it from the cage, with welding gloves, try taking it to a cool room to “chill” it out and then try handling it. Unfortunately we have had animals flip the switch and become very defensive and not tame back down. But I would try changing things up.
@@NatureInYourFace Haven't tried rearranging the enclosure. Will give it a try as it's about time to replace the substrate. I've been using garden top soil, playground sand and peat moss. Anyway, it's somewhat frustrating to see the 180° change that has occurred. I've been keeping/ breeding reptiles/amphibians for close to 30 years but have not seen such an abrupt change in any of my animals including Monitors! My Northern Emerald Tree Boa is a treat to handle compared to this nightmare!!
Good luck. It definitely can be disheartening to have an animal change like that. Hopefully it turns around.
Man, I have wanted one of these for the past fifteen years. I've always had large lizards mostly with many other species that were much smaller. I guess I just thought it would be like socializing all my other reptiles. Boy was I wrong!
I'm kinda wondering just how many people are in the same boat as me? On the whole, I've been pretty lucky with my choices except for the time I bought a Tokay gecko when I was a kid. Still gives me nightmares. Lol
Tegu’s are the best! 🦎🥰
Heck yea!!
I love that u learned something new! Thank you for this! ✌🏾❤️✊🏽
You’re welcome! Glad you enjoyed it
Years ago I had the misfortune of one of my tegus latching onto my thumb during a feeding session and let me tell you it lit up my world. I thought the bone was being crushed. One of her teeth went completely through my thumb nail. Fortunately she let go after a while. From then on l never let them associate my hands with feeding and have never had any mishaps.
Yikes! They have big teeth and powerful jaws, we definitely would not want one latching on to us. Man that sounds painful.
First time here. New red tegu owner here. So glad I've found your channel. Subscribed.
Welcome! We appreciate the compliment and we're glad you enjoyed the video! Hope you'll check out some of our other videos.
ok, the scales on the tail are so dope
Yea they’re definitely cool!
an absolute cutie, what morph is he?
Some people refer to them as the black-nose morph. They are definitely different from the typical black and white morph. Thanks for commenting!
Cannot wait for my deathstalker 🦂 🦂 🦂 scorpions
Those are really cool scorpions!
Yes they are!!!!
I also got another Leopard gecko tonight also
excellent quality content guys. I'm new subscriber cuz yall earned it. for the algorithm
We really appreciate the support!
Hello. I have a few questions. Can Female Tegus's be kept in The same Enclosure? If I Purchase A UVA and A UVB Lamp do I still need a heating Lamp or Cylinder or Long like heating Light for The Tegu's Enclosure.
Typically uvb bulbs do not produce heat so you would need a separate basking light for heat and possibly a heat pad/CHE depending on how cool the room is that you will keep the lizard in. It is possible to keep two females together but not really advisable as there’s always going to be a dominant one that eats more food and takes less heat good hides and basking areas causing stress to the other. Unless you can provide a large enclosure with multiple hides and multiple heat sources and feed separately. Then it can be done fairly safely, but there is always a risk of the bigger one eating the smaller.
Feed your large Tegu with small/medium iguanas. In Florida, that would be a win-win situation.
Tegus are also an invasive species in Florida. They might as well put a fence around the entire state and call it the Florida Zoo. It's become a continental soup of critters from around the world. Very sad. 😢
Great advice, I would say you covered everything except you forgot to mention that anytime you are not feeding whole prey items you should be dusting with an all in one calcium and vitamin powder.
Thanks! Yea there’s definitely more to know and we encourage people to do plenty of research before acquiring one as a pet.
I love my baby tegu her name is Zumi she is about 5 months old she’s a little scary.. I have had her for a couple weeks I’m trying to train her….she almost acts like she was dropped I don’t know 😢 when I feed her she goes ham and shakes her food and gets substrate all over it even though I feed her on her platform she always flings it
Yea food flinging is a Tegu thing. Definitely messy eaters. We have a female who eats half her food then fills the bowl with substrate to indicate “she’s done”. I’m sure Zumi will calm down with work. They tend to become food aggressive quickly in their enclosures and will try to bite anything that enters but once taken out usually are good. You can always use thick gloves to remove it at first.
What do you think about Colombian/gold tegus? I have a golden tegu that i bought as a little hatchling.i had him/her for about 8 months now and its about 18 inches long from head to tail
@@allenmelton3367 We love all tegus, we don't care if they're gold, red, black and white or purple with green polka dots! That's awesome that your tegu is healthy and getting bigger! They are intelligent and make such great pets! Thanks for sharing!
We’ve definitely heard of people not thinking they’re as attractive an Argentine bw or a red but they have a really cool pattern! Supposedly they can be harder to tame but we haven’t personally worked with them. What is the temperament of yours?
The temperament mind is a little skittish when I first take him out the tank,but when I handle him/her it eventually calms down in about 5 minutes.My tegu don't like to be picked up be he likes to socialize as far as me petting it and sometimes he sits on my lap but he will start off by exploring first.He is slot calmer than he was when I first had it as a hatchling,that's when a bit my finger a few times but it didn't hurt at all at that size.
He's fun to play with and he will eventually tame all the way down overtime as I keep handling it
Awesome
That boy look Good 👌 🔥 good job over there 💪
Oh yea! He’s a good looking lizard.
I want one soooo bad. Can't commit to that lifespan just yet tho. Gonna be like another 5 years from now before I can take care of one properly
Good for you on being responsible and waiting. They make incredible pets.
Check it just caught a juvenile here in florida😮
I bet that thing was feisty
is it possible to get away with not feeding whole prey items?
It can be done with proper lighting and supplementation but it would be best to provide some whole prey items in their diet if you want them to be healthy. They'll take chicken, ground turkey and other meat from the store but they are lacking some of the beneficial nutrients that are in the whole prey items that they eat. I will feed my tegu small rats but sometimes it's easier to feed it 4 or five mice instead because they're easier for him to swallow. Just keep in mind that they are omnivorous so variety is best. Thanks for asking. Happy New Year!
i just got my first Tegu in early February of this year and she was about 6-7 months old and the pet store had never handled her, so she is very spicy. i get her out and handle her on a daily but she still does not seem to like it. she does bite me if she is awake(warm) when i get her out of her enclosure(i do have heavy duty long leather gloves) she does the death roll in my hands and she does her deep breathing. and she has also pooed on me. but I don't give up and i will not put her back in her enclosure until she does calm down. what are my chances that she will eventually tame down?
They’re very intelligent animals and if it was captive bred then there is definitely hope. Have you tried tong feeding? You can pet her head with something while she eats to associate being touched as a good thing. Also working with her in a cooler environment will help keep her calm. Good luck and don’t give up
Mine is super gentile and can be hand fed. He often sleeps on my chest if I lay in bed watching a movie or on my lap playing computer games. He can go out without a leash and not run away. If you constantly handle any lizard they WILL clam down eventually, but that said, just like people or dogs or anything different lizards have different personalities. Some will be calm others will be more hyper. Also one thing to note, their eyes work differently than ours do, they can see light waves we can not, so you look different to them in sunlight than you do in house light, and different at noon than you do at 7pm. My Tegu was always calm in house light but would get defensive and pissy (not quite aggressive but he would arch his back and hiss.. not bite) in sunlight. It took months for him to recognize me in all different sunlight and he has been calm and gentle with me for a long time now. Also other things can set them off... I recently got a new phone and I guess the camera lens on it looks like an eye to him. He was used to the other phone but the new one made him angry, then he got used to it. They are very smart when it comes to remembering objects, faces, room/yard layouts and hiding spots.
She will calm down with age. When they are young they are nervous and flighty. When about one year old try putting her in a small room with you. Most tegus don't like to be picked up but they like being stroked or scratched. Do this a few times a week and a little food goes a long way. Just make sure the tegu associates you with food but not your fingers.
I just got a tegu tonight
That’s awesome 👏. What kind?
do tegus bite hard?
YES! They can be the sweetest lizards around but you would not want to get bit by a large one. Sharp teeth and large jaws muscles equal pain. They can develop a strong feed response and will go to grab anything coming into their enclosure thinking it’s food. But there are ways to train them to know when they’re being fed or being held/cage maintenance.
seems to enjoy grapes, he might appreciate wine...but i'm not sure it would be very healthy for those guys
They love grapes and got nuts over blueberries. They are great pets and we try to feed them a variety to keep them healthy.
So what he’s name? 😃
Yoshi
😂
Dogs aren’t omnivores 😂. Tegus are basically like us though :)
Yes dogs are omnivores. Most breeds are descendants of wild dogs not wolves.
Will smith
Lol
What
Tahw
❤
Tegus are the best!